Chapter 44 Daddy vs. The World

Chapter 44 Daddy vs. The World
(ZAYNE’S POV)

I can’t believe my ears. Two weeks. Two fucking weeks? I shake my head over and over, muttering, “No, no, no. This isn’t right. Two weeks? Her exams are coming up!”

The headmistress tilts her head and gives me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Mr. Beaumont, but rules are rules. If we don’t punish Brielle justly, what kind of message does that send to the other students? That they can beat up their classmates at the slightest inconvenience and get a slap on the wrist?”

I sink back into the chair, defeated. My fingers grip the armrests and I grind my teeth. 

“Two weeks…” I mutter again, my voice filled with disbelief.

“This is how it has to be,” she continues. “I'm using your daughter to set an example so incidents like this won't ever happen again. Mr and Mrs. Ashford are kind enough not to press legal charges, but this situation could’ve gone differently if it were other parents.”

“Set an example, huh,” I mutter under my breath, but I can hear the bitterness in my voice. 

I know this isn’t just about Brielle. It’s about fairness, about the message being sent. But it doesn’t make it any easier.

The headmistress drones on for a few minutes, giving the usual words to both parents about school rules and procedures. I hear her words but my mind is elsewhere, spinning. Finally, she ends the meeting. I stand abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor, and I glare at Aurianna. 

Her eyes drop to the floor the moment she sees the look on my face.

She feels bad. 

Good.

Without saying another word, I turn and storm toward the door. I hear her quick footsteps behind me but I don’t look back. 

I enter the waiting room where Brielle is sitting with her hand in her lap, Brielle sits, fidgeting nervously under the secretary’s watchful eye.

“What happened?” she asks softly, looking up at me.

“Go get your things. We’re going home,” I say firmly. Her little face crumples just for a moment as she gives me one last look before obeying.

As soon as she leaves the room, Aurianna steps closer, her voice quiet as she says, “Zayne… I'm so sorry. I—”

“Save it,” I cut her off with my palm in front of her face. 

She doesn't say anything else.

Brielle returns with her school bag in hand. I take her hand in mine, guiding her out. Not once do I glance at Aurianna. I'm too angry, too frustrated to even look at her. 

This is her fault. I clearly said no, yet she still went behind my back and did exactly what I told her not to do. Now my daughter’s suspended.

Once we're outside, we reach the parking lot. I swing open the passenger door and Aurianna moves to get in, but I block her with my hand. 

“Brielle, get in,” I mutter, helping my daughter buckle in. Then I walk around the car and slide behind the wheel. Aurianna climbs into the back seat, crossing her arms over her chest with a glare fixed in my direction. 

I see it in the rear-view mirror.

I start the car and the tires crunch over the gravel as we leave the school grounds.

The drive home is quiet, and the atmosphere in the car feels too tense. 

“Daddy?” Brielle’s small voice breaks the silence.

“Yes?” I answer without taking my eyes off the road.

“I hope you’re not mad at Anna,” she says. “I know you said no, but I’m the one that begged her over and over again until she finally said yes. Please… don’t be mad at her.”

I finally turn to look at my daughter, trying to keep my voice steady. “What she did was wrong. And now you’re suspended for two weeks. Do you understand? Two weeks. What the hell were you thinking, Brie?”

Tears well up in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Daddy!” she cries, burying her face in her hands.

Aurianna leans forward from the back seat, gently rubbing Brielle’s shoulder with her hand.

“Hey… hey, it’s okay. Don’t cry,” she says softly.

Brielle peeks up at me through her fingers. Seeing her like this… it makes me feel like something’s squeezing my heart and I don't like it.

It's uncomfortable.

I look away, swallowing hard.

“I know hurting Connor was wrong,” she says in a shaky voice. “But he hurt me first.”

My brows furrow. “What?”

“What do you mean?” Aurianna asks, leaning in from the back.

“The teacher said…” Brielle gasps for air, tears falling freely now, “...our Open House is coming soon. My friends were talking about their parents, and—and how their moms and dads were coming. I said only my Daddy is coming because Mommy’s gone. Connor overheard… and he started making fun of me. Saying he has a mom and dad and I don't have a mom.”

I slam the breaks and the car instantly comes to a stop. My grip on the steering wheel tightens until my knuckles turn white. 

“I’m turning this damn car around,” I mutter, barely able to contain the surge of anger that floods my chest.

“What?” Aurianna asks quickly. “Why?”

“I’m going back to the school because this is unacceptable! If they're gonna suspend my daughter, then they'll have to suspend that other kid too.”

“Brie, why didn’t you say this ever since?” I say, turning to her.

“I was already in trouble,” she says quietly. “I was scared.”

I start to reverse the car, ready to go back to that school and give them a piece of my mind when Aurianna reaches from the back and places a hand on mine. 

“Stop,” she says firmly. I glance at her, tension coiling in the air between us.

“What that boy said is utterly wrong, yes. But going back to the school doesn’t change the fact that Brielle put a kid in the hospital.”

My chest rises and falls as we stare at each other. That's when I feel the softness and the warmth and realize that her hands on her mine. 

This is the first time we’ve come in contact in days. 

Her blue eyes look deep into mine and I feel the electricity of her gaze. We’re so close that our noses are almost touching and I can feel her breath on my lips. 

I’m caught up in the moment and my mind goes blank. The world narrows to just us and somehow, my anger disappears.

She clears her throat softly, breaking whatever spell we were locked in, and I force myself to focus on the road. She sits back in the rear seat and folds her arms.

I run a hand through my hair, stealing a glance at her through the mirror. She meets my gaze and I hate that I can't read the look on her face… that I can't tell what she's feeling at the moment.

I take a deep breath, refocus on the road ahead, and drive. We settle into another silence but this time…

It's much more comfortable.